Pipe joint



Feb. 5, 192.9.

. 1,701,326 P. G. JOHNSON PIPE JoI'N'r Filed July 28, 1927 l f Jig 3.l

mvNToR wrrNEssEs 3 P, Mw/Am o'inturned flanges it is to Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

PEBGY GBAHAI JOHNSON,

COMPANY,A LIMITED,

OF LETCHWOBTH, ENGLAND,` ASSIGNQB T VICTAULIC 0F LONDON, ENGLAND.

PIPE; JUINT. A

Application mea my as,

joined so that when the ends of the pipes are pressed into the elastic ring, or, conversely, the elastic ring pressed over` the pipes, the inner peripheral lips of the flexible flanges are deflected from their normal inturned position and are stretched outwards so as, by reaction, to embrace tightly and elastically the ends of the pipes or the like.

The object of the present invention is to effect an improvement upon leak reventing rings of the type aforesaid where y the lips of the flexible inturned fianges are caused by greaterI reaction to grip on and press more firmly around the ends of the pipes or the like, and thereby initially seal the joint most effectively against both internal and external Huid pressure. The initial sealing is very iinportant as if leakage takes place under the initial pressure of the fluid it is aptto continue as the pressure increases.

n referring to the lips of the flexible be understood lthat the whole of the tapered extensions of the flanges which bed on to the ends of the pipes or the of the ring denotes that part of the periphery of the ring between the lnturned side flanges.

According to the present invention, I pro-v vide a joint for pipes and the like, of the type Stated, in which the leak preventing ring, made of rubber or other suitable elastic material, has formed,` at its interior, a number of transverse ribs adapted to stiften the 'lips and increase their resistance to defiection at the fltment of the same over the ends v of the pipes or the like and, under reaction,

due to their resilience, to cause them, when deflected, to grip tightly upon and around the said pipe or like ends and effectively prevent initlal leakage. The transverse ribs are preferably formed integral with the ring and are also preferably spaced apart at regular intervals, an they are shaped, at the sides, so as to form stiffening webs or struts adapted to support the flanges-and their lips, the websr also serving to divide the interior of the ring,'at eac flexible inturned flangesA requires to d thin edge 3*.

1927, Serial No. 208,939', and in Great Britain September 17, 1926.

side, into compartments. The ribs may not extend entirely-to the marginal edges of the lips of the flanges as it is not desired that they should interfere with the self sealing action o f the thin andvery flexible edge parts of the lips. The ribs act substantially as resilient arches tendingto prevent deformation of the cross section of the ring.

.- In' practice,

be stretched in order to fit over or receive the ends of the pipes or the like. The housin enshrouding the ring is also generallyra apted to clamp the ring to the pipes or the like in such a manner that com pression applied tothe back and side surfaces of the ring causes the lips of the flexible inturned flanges to press Afirmly down upon the said ends. The formation of the lips is suchl that they will bedon to the pipes or like ends whatever be the amount of flexure permitted by the enshrouding housing.

the ring is made so that itv The referred embodiment of the invenf tion is i lustrated in the accompanying drawings, ofwhich Fig. 1 is an elevation of the ring; Fig. 2 a transverse sectional view, the plane of view being indicated by the line I-II, Fig. 1; Fig; 3 a central sectional view, the plane of view eing indicated by the line III-IIL Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a fragmentary cross sectional view of the ring, the section being taken through one of the ribs; Fig. 5 a cross showing it inv normal form before being applied to the ends of pipes and Fig. 6 a view corresponding to Fig. 5 showing the ring in dotted lines in its normal form, and in full lines in the form in which it is distorted when applied to pipes.

The ring, which is made of rubber or other suitable elastic material comprises a semirigid back portion 1 of substantially cylindrical form, which portion is provided, at each-side, with a flexible inturned flange 2. As clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the sides of the rin taper from the interior periphery towards t ve exterior periphery of the ring, each flange 2 being at an obtuse angle to the back portion 1. Each flange has an inward extension forming a tapering shape, as shown, and terminates in a The lips 3 are deflected when the ring is fitted on to the pipes, and the prssure chamber 5, formed within the ring, allows the internal fluid pressure to act on h the lips 3 to seal the joints (see Fig. 6).

like is to be understood and theqoack "sectional view of the ring to enlarged scale The leak preventing ring shown in the annexed drawing, however, comprises also a series of integral ribs 7. These ribs are uniformly spaced apart around the 1nter1or of the rino' .at distances substantially equal to their widths, each rib being transverse to the plane of the ring and not extending to the marginal edges 3 of the lips. More speelfically each rib 7 comprisesv three portlons, namely, two short, thick webs 7 and a thmner connecting part 7 b of equal breadth.

From the foregoing it will .be clear that the flexibility of each lip 3 varies progressively from the outer edge '4 thereof to the 1nner edge 3a. At its extreme outer edge each lip is comparativel rigid, being stlflened by the thick wall of t e flange 2 connectmg the lip3 to the cylindrical portion 1. The hwhest degree of flexibility is present at the t 1n inner edge 3a of the lip, the hp bemg gradually tapered and being normally held l1n the inwardly proecting position shown 1n Fig. 2 simply by t e comparative rigidity of the remaining parts 1 and 2 of the ring. The hp is reinforced by the resilient web 7.I

The .internal diameter of the ring at the circumferential edge 4 is preferably made slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the pipe 8, and in such a construction the ring has first to be stretched before it can fit over the end of the pipe. In practice, the ring' is made so that the amount of stretching required is approximately from 1/4'. to 1/2" per foot bore of the rin Owing to the pecullar formation of the ring when it is being pressed over the pipe ends, or conversel the pipe en'ds are pressed thereinto the de ection of the lips 3 from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.` 6, to the position shown in full lines, not only stretches the lips but also stretches' the ring as a Whole. This results in the ring being subjected to tension producingV a constant reaction, due 'tothe elasticity of the material, throwing a load from the semi-rigid back 1 upon Ithe more flexible and compressible lips and side flanges and causing the said lips throughout their widths and all around the inner periphery of the ring to bed tightly and solidly upon the surfaces of the ipe ends and effectively prevent initial lealage i both internally and externally.

Throughout the stretching andV deflecting movements, the action of the ribs 7 is to resist .any reduction in the cross-sectional area of the annular pressurechamber 5. In this manner, because there is pressure acting on all sides of the ring, the ribs 7 exert an equal and opposite reaction, which is universally distributed around the rin-g, thereby sealing all parts of ,the latter against either external or internal pressure.

It is to be understood. moreover, that the foregoing leak preventing closure is additional and not derogative to the self-acting closure effected by the fluid within (or without) the pipes. The sealing or closure at initial pressure is ve important as when the joint is tight-initial y the succeeding pressure, no matter how great. it mav be, merely serves to make the closure more effective.

In the case of internal fluid presure, the fluid enters the annular chamber 5 in the usual manner and exerts pressure on the lips 3 as shown by the curved arrows in Fig. 6. Moreover the fluid enters the spaces or compartments between the webs 7 of the ribs 7 so that fluid ressure is exerted on substantially the who e width of the lips 3 uniformly \around the pipe ends. In thecase of external fluid pressure (for example, when a vacuum is to be maintained inside the pi es bein joined) the fluid, while it may ass elow t e bottom edge of the buttress si e walls `of the enshrouding housing, cannot pass between the edge 4l of the flange 2 and the adjacent surface of the pipe 8, as the whole lip 3 is tightly bedded on the pipe, but rather tends to increase the pressure between the said parts by acting on the outer inclined side surfaces of the ring.

I claim as my invention;

1; A flexible ring of the type described for forming a leak-preventing joint between the adjacent ends of two pipes, said ring 'comprising as a unitary structure a back and pipebedding lips exten-ding inwardly from the back and forming with the back a reentrant fluid-receiving recess, said back havin flanges connecting its outer portion to sai lips, the pipe-bedding walls'of said lips forming openings'of smaller diameters than the diameters of the outer surfaces' 0f the pipes to be received by them, and the interior wall of the ring being integrally provided with a plurality of transverse resilient ribs acting as struts upon the lips and between them and the flanges to increase the initial grip of the lips upon the ends of'pipes to' which the ring is applied.

2. A flexible ring of the type described for A forming a leak-preventing joint between the adj acent ends of two pipes, said ring comprising as a unitary structure a back and pipe` bedding lips extendinginwardly from the back and forming with the back a reentrant fluidreceiving recess, the pipe-bedding walls of said lips forming openings of smaller diameters than the diameters of the outer surfaces of the pipes to be received by them, and the interior walls of the ring being provided with a plurality of transverse ribs of greater depth at their ends than at their intermediate portions, said ribs stiflening said lips for increasing their internal grip upon the ends of pipes to which the ring is applied.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

' PERY GRAHAM JOHNSON. 

